Imagine an estate regeneration that supports the health and wellbeing of a close-knit community

Project Insight

The London Borough of Camden has been exploring ways to deliver better homes and more sustainable communities through its Community Investment Programme. Originally developed in phases from the 1930s to the 1980s, Maitland Park Estate was suffering from ageing housing stock, undersized homes and fragmented public spaces.

The redevelopment demonstrates how community-focused design can create healthier places to live. The scheme provides 119 new mixed-tenure homes, including an increase in council homes from 36 to 51, alongside new community facilities and enhanced parkland. Larger homes meet modern standards and help families move out of overcrowded accommodation.

Project Idea

Located between Chalk Farm, Gospel Oak and Belsize Park, Maitland Park Estate is centred on a mature park that provides a tranquil landscape at the heart of the community.

We were asked to look at the entire estate for infill opportunities, which led us to focus on two sites, Grafton Terrace and Aspen House. Our feasibility study identified realistic site capacities while responding sensitively to the scale, form and materials of the surrounding area.

Extensive consultation over several years helped shape the scheme. Town hall meetings, focus groups, surveys and collaborative workshops gave residents and the wider community a meaningful role in developing the homes, public spaces and community facilities. Local knowledge and lived experience informed the final design, building support for a more extensive redevelopment than had initially been anticipated.

Project Design

Our designs create a vibrant heart for the community, combining new homes, a new community hub and garden, and improved public spaces. Homes provide both social rented and private ownership options in a range of sizes, with fully accessible and adaptable dwellings included across the development.

A primary aim was to create a highly sustainable, low-carbon neighbourhood that promotes long-term health and wellbeing. The design repairs the urban fabric, frames the estate’s mature central park and creates new opportunities for recreation and social interaction.

At Grafton Terrace, the scheme repairs the Victorian street frontage with four to six-storey flats at Mary Prince House and a standalone four-storey townhouse. A new community centre and garden command the corner of the park. Feedback from young people helped shape a place that is welcoming, safe and accessible, with a large sub-dividable function room, bookable meeting and teaching spaces, and a café.

The design celebrates the estate’s much-loved landscape. Buildings are carefully planned around mature trees, with the canopy reaching close to fifth-floor balconies. Generous balconies, gardens and communal landscapes encourage outdoor activity and social interaction, strengthening residents’ connection with nature.

The Aspen House site involved the demolition of an existing nine-storey 1970s slab block, a 1930s gym and run-down garages. In their place, we designed a five-storey courtyard building at Antony Grey Court, fronted by the six-storey Noor Inayat Khan House overlooking the park. The communal courtyard is landscaped with cherry trees and areas to sit and play.

The development respects existing street frontages and frames the central park with a series of brick buildings that share common details and forms. A palette of pale gault brick relates to the existing stucco-rendered terraces, while dark brick and copper-coloured metal cladding provide definition at the base and upper levels.

Homes are spacious, light and airy, with generous floor-to-ceiling heights, abundant daylight and views of the tree canopy. Balconies and gardens exceed standard space requirements, while efficient stair cores serving small clusters of homes avoid deck access and support privacy and security.

Twelve inclusive dwellings, including six fully wheelchair-accessible homes and six adaptable homes, enable residents of different ages and abilities to live independently. Accessible entrances, level routes, generous circulation spaces and adaptable bathrooms help ensure the development is welcoming and usable for everyone.

Good street-making principles encourage passive supervision through thoughtfully positioned front doors, balconies and windows. A pedestrian-focused neighbourhood, with a new multi-use games area, play spaces and improved parkland, encourages active lifestyles and strengthens community wellbeing.

Healthy, low-carbon homes

Maitland Park is Camden’s first project to achieve a 3-star Home Quality Mark rating. Health and wellbeing were considered throughout the design process, resulting in homes that support both physical and mental wellbeing.

A fabric-first approach based on Passivhaus principles minimises energy demand while creating comfortable homes with stable indoor temperatures and excellent air quality. High insulation and airtightness standards also help reduce household energy bills and mitigate fuel poverty.

The project is Camden’s first scheme to use air-source heat pumps with mechanical ventilation and heat recovery, making it fully electric. These systems supply fresh air while recovering heat. Combined with an extensive photovoltaic array, biodiverse roofs and a highly efficient building envelope, they significantly reduce operational energy demand.

The 294 photovoltaic panels generate 80.85 kWp, contributing to a 15.6% carbon reduction and supplying 15.9% of regulated energy demand. Overall, the development is predicted to achieve a 44% reduction in carbon emissions compared with a 2013 Part L compliant notional building.

Durable, low-carbon materials and high-quality construction support long-term environmental performance and reduce future maintenance and disruption.

Awards

• RIBA London Award (2025)

• Camden Design Awards - Major Projects Award (2025)

• Civic Trust Awards Regional Finalist (2025)

• British Homes Awards - Development of the Year (Over 100 Homes) (2024)

• AJ Architecture Awards - Housing Project over £40M (2024)

• Housing Design Awards - Finalist (2024)

• Building Awards - Housing Project of the Year - Finalist (2024)

• Inside Housing Development Awards - Best Healthy Homes Development - Finalist (2024)

• New London Awards - Housing - Finalist (2024)